Clara and the seige of Camelot
by cooking-ninja18
Summary: The orc are back! only this time they have their sights set on Camelot!If Merlin and Arthur hope to survive this fight, they will need help from the user of a rare form of magic.Please R&R! Constructive critisism welcome but try to be nice...
1. 2 years ago

**A/N: PLEASE READ! Hey everyone! Yes, it is another Merlin fanfiction… only with a twist! It's a Lord of the rings crossover! Thank you to Darkgemwildcat for all of your help! You got my thoughts goin again! Yay! You will see in this first chapter that I also borrowed the idea of 'bending' from Avatar: the last air bender, but that's really the only thing from it, so it's not an Avatar cross over as well. This will definitely be a multichapter story because I brainstormed for the first 6 chapters'. I haven't written them yet though… just this one.**

**Just to give a bit of a better understanding (just a bit…) of how I'm connecting middle earth and Camelot… I'm going to focus more on Gondor. So, Gondor is its own kingdom (obviously) and has its own land just like Camelot. Let's say… it's about a week's horse ride to get from Gondor to Camelot. Yeah, that sounds good, ok! And PLEASE BEAR WITH ME (did I spell that right?), THIS CHAPTER HAS A LOT OF FLASH BACKS, BUT ITS ONLY TO GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MY OC. I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE MUCH BETTER! This story isn't in cross-overs because it really doesn't have that much from Lord of the Rings in it, it's about 98% Merlin. **

**So without further ado, enjoy chapter 1!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, or Lord of the Rings or any of its characters. I also don't own the idea of element 'bending'. That belongs to ATLA.**

2 years ago…:

The day was bright and lively after a hard rain that had made the rivers swell to twice their normal size, a nice change of pace Clara thought. Although water had always played an important part in her life, the 18 year old began to grow restless when the rain had not let up enough for her to practice her other forms of element manipulation. As she strolled along the river in the forest she had called home most of her life, her thoughts drifted to her magic and her mood saddened.

Clara knew she was different since controlling the movement of water for the first time. It was a day much like yesterday; dark, wet, and stormy.

_Her mother was being verbally attacked by some deranged man spouting things about how she had given birth to a demonic child. He went to attack Clara, but her mother was brave and shielded her child from harm; earning a blow to the face. The 8 year old girl felt anger and panic welling up inside of her. She wanted to protect her mother, and not soon after that the rain around them began to slow and form what looked like a small stream in midair; but the thing that frightened this man the most, is that the girls eyes had begun to glow bright blue._

'_Magic!' the man had cried. Startled by the man's outburst, Clara had dropped her concentration and looked over to her mother whose face looked panicked. She reached over and grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and spoke to her with extreme urgency in her voice._

'_Clara! You must run away from here! Run as far as you can into the woods and don't stop there! Run until you are far out of King Uthers reach!'_

'_Wha- what? Why? Mother what are you talking about?'_

'_There is no time to explain! You must leave…'_

'_What about you?'_

_The woman smiled sadly, tears and rain falling down her face._

'_Now don't you worry about me? I'll be f…' she was cut off by the sound of guards approaching._

'_GO! Run and don't look back!' She shoved the terrified girl away from her and offered one last smile._

_Clara hesitated for a moment before turning and running as fast as she could away from Camelot… and her mother._

It has been 10 years since that day, and she has not seen her mother since then. Over the decade, Clara dedicated her time to perfecting her strange ability and also discovering that she could manipulate other elements as well; and from the very small number of people she had come across, she learned that her specific type of magic was called 'bending'. One of those people had come from Camelot, and the teen had asked for any information on her mother. Sadly, the information that the stranger had provided was grim. Shortly after Clara had left Camelot, a woman was executed for treason and harboring a magical being. To say the girl was devastated would be an understatement; the bearer of information was wise to run away after she cried out in sadness and anger. Just thinking about the old king made her blood boil, but she knew being angry wouldn't do her any good. Besides, things would get better once his son, Arthur, becomes king; at least, that's what she heard.

The bender pulled herself out of her thoughts when she came across a flooded lake. The water level in the forest was slowly becoming dangerously high; to the point where anything on the ground could drown.

_A dam would probably do some good here…_

She waded into the water until it was up to her hips, and observed the area to see how far the dam would need to go. She tapped the submerged ground with her foot so that she could pick up on the vibrations around her and see things without actually looking; a handy trick she learned from a blind bender that had passed through the forest with a group of kids and a strange bison-like animal.

After locating the normal boundaries of the lake, Clara took a deep breath and brought both hands out in front of her, palms down. The ground began to shake and as she slowly raised her arms, the ground in front of her followed; rising up to create a wall around the lake. She made the edges of the wall slope down on both sides, to act as a ramp for living things in the forest to walk on. After the wall was completed, the bender took another deep breath and proceeded to take control of the water outside of the wall; placing it all back into the lake until the forest was no longer flooded. With her task complete, Clara stretched out her arms and sat down on the wall with her feet dangling in the water and her hands placed by her sides.

"That was… quite amazing."

Startled, the bender jumped up and turned to face the speaker. The man she saw put his hand in front of him.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to frighten you."

After collecting her wits again, she sat back down and began to observe the man who had approached her. He looked to be much older than herself, probably in his mid-forties (A/N: from what I know, he's actually 87…wow). He was also rather tall and had black wavy hair as well as a bit of a beard. His cloths were that of a traveler, but the quality of the sword at his side suggested something different. Clara decided to get some answers;

"Who are you?"

"I have many names."

"What may I call you?"

"Strider."

There was a long silence as the travelers observed one another.

The young bender jumped off the wall and walked over to where Aragorn was standing, placing herself a few feet in front of him. The traveler saw that this girl was obviously young, but she had matched him in height. Her long, blond hair flowed in the breeze and her dark brown eyes bore into his blue ones. She too was wearing clothes that represented a traveler; pants, shirt, belt, light jacket, and a cloak that was laying on her shoulders. She did not, however, have a weapon nor did she have any shoes. _Interesting… _The girl began to question him further.

"And what, may I ask, are you doing out in the middle of these woods alone Strider? This forest can be very dangerous to those who do not know it."

"I assure you I mean no harm. I came to seek someone."

Clara observed him a moment longer, and then with a wave of her hand she created two seats made out of stone, and seated herself. Aragorn seated himself as well, a curious look in his eyes.

"Did you know your eyes glow different colors every time you manipulate a different element?"

The bender raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"I was not aware of that, no. What colors do they glow?"

"When I saw you bending the water, they had flashed a pale blue. However when you created these seats just now they had flashed gold."

"Huh…" She smirked at the traveler; she really had no idea that her eyes did that. She began to relax after feeling certain that this man was no threat to her. In fact, something felt strangely familiar about him.

"You said that you were seeking someone. May I ask who?"

"A child… although now she would be a young adult like yourself. Twelve years ago I had met a woman traveling with a small child. This child was very special and had an extraordinary gift, but she was pursued by those who sought the eradication of her kind. This woman feared for her child's life, and believed that Camelot would be the last place that others would even think to search for her. I assisted her as much as I could while she remained in the land of Gondor, but once she had passed into Camelot I could no longer help her. As our parting words, she made me promise that if anything where to happen to her, I would seek out her child and act as their Guardian, keeping them from harm. Ten years ago I received news of her death at the hands of King Uther Pendragon, and have been searching for this child ever since. The information that I have received recently had spoken of a girl living in these woods with the same abilities that the child had, and that's how I have come to meet you… Clara."

The ranger noticed that the young adult was silently crying, and had looked away. With a quivering voice, she looked him in the eyes and spoke.

"I remember you now... Your name is not Strider, it is Aragorn. You are the King of Gondor! Why are you hear looking for a child you met twelve years ago when you should be ruling your kingdom!"

_She's angry… and stricken with sadness and fear. _"Because I had made a promise, an oath. I swore to your mother that I would guide you if you wished it. I would provide a place for you to call your home should you chose it. A safe haven away from any persecution should you desire it. I am here to be your friend, Clara."

All her anger vanished, and more tears found their way down her face.

_Aragorn… yes, she remembered now. The only person to show her kindness in her journey. She would never forget the kind ranger who had saved her and her mother's life during their travels to Camelot. She owed him a debt, but more than that. She desired to be in a place where she belonged, and place where she would be welcomed._

"I…"

She hesitated, but saw that Aragorn was watching her with a calm, caring gaze.

"I would like that very much."

The king held out his hand to the young bender.

"Then let us go home."

With that, Clara followed her guardian to the first place she would ever be able to call home.

**A/N: Whew, that was actually a difficult chapter to write. I like how it turned out though, what about you? Trust me when I say I am really trying not to make Clara a mary sue. I wasn't planning to in the first place, I'm just trying not to make her one. Anywho, to those of you who powered through and actually read this chapter, THANK YOU SOO MUCH! Next chapter will be set in the present and It will be where Merlin comes in. Anywho, I have it planned, but I haven't written it yet. If I don't get reviews I might forget to post the next chapter. Getting reviews inspire me, and the email notification reminds me that I have a story to write! =D. anywho, please review and let me know what you think! And remember:**

**No reviews= no update! Unless I'm in a really good mood…**

**Cooking-ninja**


	2. The Seige Begins

**Ok, Sorry if anyone was confused reading that last chapter; its posted under 'merlin' fan fiction and the first chapter has nothing to do with him. Yeah I know… anyhow, this chapter is all Merlin peoples!**

**Without further ado, enjoy chapter 2! Hey I rhymed!...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, or Lord of the Rings, or the idea of 'bending' which belongs to ATLA.**

**~0o0~**

**

* * *

**

**Present Day, Camelot:**

"_Mer_lin…Merlin! Wake up you lazy warlock!"

King Arthur sighed when the court sorcerer didn't stir from his sleep… deep sleep apparently, although he couldn't blame the poor boy. When he had inherited the crown a year ago, the ban on magic was lifted and Merlin almost immediately became the court sorcerer and Arthur's advisor. Ever since then, the boy had been working himself past complete exhaustion and had barely given himself time to rest.

The young king observed his sleeping friend. He had dark circles under his eyes, and looked slightly more pale than usual. If it was even possible he looked thinner than usual, and that was saying something for Merlin; Arthur was becoming worried for the young warlock. After deciding to let his friend sleep, he left the room and spotted a servant girl walking by.

"Lisa! I need you to do me a favor."

"Sire! What is it? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, well… not really. It's about Merlin; he hasn't been looking very healthy lately."

"Yes, I have been rather worried about him. What is it you need?"

"When he wakes up, I need you to make sure he eats something. He's been looking rather thin and I'm afraid he hasn't been eating properly."

"Of course sire. I will make sure the kitchens have a meal prepared for him."

"Thank you Lisa." She offered a curtsey to the king and headed towards the kitchens.

Arthur sighed and turned to walk towards the Great Hall to meet with Queen Guinevere. They had a lot to accomplish before their guests arrived in a couple of days.

While heading towards his destination, the king was joined by his good friend Sir Leon.

"Sire." He bowed his head in respect.

"Sir Leon, good afternoon. What can I do for you?"

"Can a knight not simply walk with his king?"

"Of course."

The two strolled past the courtyard where many people were at work preparing the city for their important guests.

"Sire, forgive me, but who is it we are expecting? Not many of us have been informed."

"Merlin was supposed to… Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Sir Leon chuckled in response.

"Well Leon, we are expecting King Aragorn of Gondor and a few of his comrades. There have been peace talks between Camelot and Gondor for a while now, but my father never took them any further than 'talks'. He did not like the fact that they allowed magic in their land. I believe it is time that we made this peace between us official, seeing there is no longer anything stopping us from doing so."

"I see. A wise move indeed. I would expect nothing less from you sire." The knight offered the king a smile, who returned the gesture.

They reached their destination and entered the room. There was a large, round table in the middle where Gwen and a few others were already discussing upcoming events. The king took his seat next to her, Leon sitting beside him, and the planning began.

~0o0~

A couple of hours later, Arthur and Gwen were walking from the dining hall back towards their chambers when he spotted Lisa.

"Lisa, how is Merlin?

"Oh hello sire, my lady. He woke up briefly to eat something, but then he went right back to sleep and has not been up since. He did not eat much though." Seeing the worried faces on the king and queen, she continued.

"I've already asked Gaius to check on him, and he said that Merlin is simply exhausted. He pushed himself too far, and now his body is demanding extra rest to make up for it. He will be fine when he wakes up tomorrow, and I will make sure a large meal is prepared for him once he wakens. Shall I inform you when he does wake up?"

"Please do, I want to drill it into his skull that if he neglects to take care of himself than he will have to suffer my wrath. I…. what's so funny?" Both Gwen and the servant girl were giggling.

"Your wrath? Really Arthur, what can you do that would terrify the court sorcerer? The worst you can do is force him to wear that hat again, and even then he can still make it disappear."

"Well Gwen… what do you suggest we do?"

"It's simple really; just make sure he doesn't over work himself again."

"Yes, he will not over work himself again on the threat of the fluffy hat!"

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you secretly love that hat."

"I do not!"

"I'm sure Arthur. Now if you will excuse us Lisa, we will be retiring for the night." The servant girl bowed.

"Of course mi-lady. Have a good night sire." And with that she left to attend to her remaining duties.

Upon reaching their chambers, Arthur backtracked to Merlin's door (his room was next to theirs) and softly opened it and peeked his head inside. Merlin was lightly snoring, but he looked as if he was peacefully sleeping. He closed the door again and went to his own chambers.

~0o0~

_Hmm… something smells good._

Merlin opened his eyes and stretched; that had to of been the best night's sleep he's had in a while. He moved to a sitting position on his bed and stretched once again, yawning in the process.

"Well it's about time! I was beginning to think you'd never wake up!"

The warlock looked up to see Arthur sitting at the table his arms crossed and a grin on his face; he also noticed the large amounts of food sitting on the table. His stomach growled rather loudly, causing the boys to slightly blush.

"Hungry much?"

"Guess so. Is all that food for me?"

"Who else would it be for?"

"I erm… are you going to have some?"

"I've already eaten."

"But you can't expect me to eat all of that can you?"

"I can and I do. You've failed to take your own health into consideration over these past few months, and I'm going to make sure you eat until you're close to bursting."

"Um…. Thanks?"

"No problem. Now get over here and eat something before you keel over."

With a grin on his face, Merlin sat down across from the king and began eating. It was at least an hour later when he finally finished, pushing himself away from the table; his hands resting on his satisfied stomach."

"I don't think I could eat anymore. If I do then you'll have to roll me to the meeting."

The king snickered, "NO THANK YOU!" Both of them laughed.

Their moment of humor was short lived when all of the sudden there was a great explosion that shook the entire castle. Merlin and Arthur were both knocked out of their chairs with the impact.

"What the hell was that?" The king quickly pushed himself up and ran out the door into the hall; Merlin was close behind him.

"Sire!" Sir Leon came running down the hall.

"Leon, what's happening?"

"Camelot is under attack sire. We've already begun evacuating as many people out of the villages as possible."

"Do you know _who_ is attacking us?"

"Come see for yourself sire."

The knight led them to the battlements resting on top of the castle overlooking the town. Both king and warlock gasped at what they saw. There was a very large army of strange creatures storming the gates to the city.

"What… what are those things? They can't possibly be people!" the king was trying to get his thoughts together after the sudden attack.

Merlin muttered a spell that allowed him to get a very close look at them. His eyes flashed gold and he observed the enemy for only a moment before realization hit him.

"Oh no…"

Arthur looked over to the now nervous looking warlock.

"What?"

"Those are orc." The kings eyes widened at the statement.

"Orc? As in the same creatures that Gondor was having trouble with a few years ago? The same creatures that almost caused the city to fall? Those orc?"

The boy was silent, his eyes filled with worry.

"What else is wrong?"

After another moment of silence, Merlin looked at his friend.

"Yes. It is not just them though. Some of them are… different. I'm not sure how, but something about them is definitely not right. This isn't good Arthur."

The man growled in frustration. He paced for a moment before he started to give orders. He sent Leon to instruct the other knights to evacuate the city as fast as possible and to secure the gate. He then turned to Merlin;

"Merlin, I need you to try and make a shield around the city. Try to keep it up long enough to…"

He stopped abruptly when he saw a barrage of flaming boulders heading towards them and the city.

As quickly as he could, Merlin said another spell with his hands out in front of him and as his eyes flashed gold a shield appeared around the city. Just seconds after the shield came up, the boulders crashed against it and exploded. The impact threw the warlock backwards towards the edge of the wall, but before he could fall Arthur caught him and had a firm grip on one of his arms.

"Thanks…" he panted.

"Yeah, you too Merlin."

If the impact of one barrage of boulders took that much out of him, than he didn't even want to know how any more would affect the warlock. One thing was for certain though… Camelot was under siege.

* * *

**Ok, shorter than chapter 1 but I'm trying to follow my planning for the story.. er.. whatever. Anyway, just a heads up, Gwen wont be making much of an appearance in this story, neither will Gaius or Legolas or Gimly for that matter. Partly because I'm not good with anything that involves even a little romance, but also because I want to focus more on Arthur and Merlin, and then obviously my own character Clara. And the time period is after Legolas and Gimly left Gondor, so basically after Return of the King. SO ANYWHO! Please review and let me know what you think. I'm going off to college a week from now, so updates will definitely be slowing down depending on my work, but no matter what I will not stop writing! It's been more difficult than my past stories, but its fun none the less. Once again… PLEASE REVIEW! Pretty please with.. uh… chocolate… and uh… ice cream and cookies and smores on top?**

**Cooking-ninja**


	3. Merlin's sacrifice

**Hi again! I usually have a lot to say in my A/N's but I can't think of anything this time! Oh noooes! **

**I hope this chapter will be enjoyed by thee; here yee go its chapter 3... No... Failed rhyming attempt…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, Lord of the Rings, or 'bending' which belongs to ATLA. **

**~0o0~ **

* * *

"This is getting ridiculous! Where are they all coming from!"

The frustrated king raised his sword and brought down another orc. Merlin was by his side blasting away orc that got to close, and making sure no arrows hit either of them; the crossbow seemed to be their weapon of choice, aside from some poorly made swords.

It has only been two days since the siege began, and the enemy had already taken the town just outside of the castle gates. The castle itself had been damaged from the flaming boulders that the orc had launched during their first attack, and many knights had already fallen. It's not the fighting ability of the invaders that was the problem; it was the amount of them. Merlin would take out a large number of them at once and then more would show up. People were becoming weary and Arthur knew that if something was not done, they would soon be hopelessly overrun.

"Everyone fall back into the courtyard!"

The knights looked towards their king, and then began running to the inner walls of the courtyard just outside of the castle. Merlin and Arthur did all they could to keep the orc at bay while the knights that could escape fled into the court yard. They were about to close the door when they noticed Sir Leon was struggling with two rather large… _cave trolls?_

"Cave trolls? Really?" Merlin said exasperated as he ran to assist him. Arthur and a few knights remained behind to guard the doors from incoming orc.

One of the cave trolls brought up its heavy metal club and prepared to strike the outnumbered knight and seeing he wasn't quite close enough to push the knight away physically, the warlock used his magic to move Leon away from the trolls falling club. He was losing energy quickly, and needed to take care of the troll as fast as possible. Creating a path for Leon to escape through and some space between him and the other orc, Merlin mumbled a spell and aimed it at the knight's sword.

"_Bregdan anuiel defeluec!"_(A/N: Sp?) The sword began to glow a pale blue.

After quickly glancing at the Warlock, Leon plunged the sword into the troll's stomach, bringing it down. He then ran to assist the boy, who was now struggling to keep normal orc at bay; his magic becoming weaker as his energy left him. Once again they were surrounded, and Leon now had to protect himself as well as Merlin, who seemed to barley be able to stand anymore. Hope of escape faded from his mind when another cave troll came forward holding a metal spiked club. _That's it, were done for, _he thought gravely.

The next few moments passed as a blur. Next thing he knew Leon was flying through the air and over the orc, landing a few yards away from the doors to the courtyard. He sat up and turned to see King Arthurs slightly panicked face, and he was going to get up and run to assist him when he realized that Merlin was not with him. Both the knight's and the king's face gained an expression of pure horror and panic when they heard the warlocks unmistakable cry of pain, and saw him launched into the air by the force of the trolls now bloody spiked club. The boy landed with a sickening thud and another cry of pain not too far from the doors.

"MERLIN!" Arthur yelled for his friend as he ran to him, Leon not far behind him.

He slid to a stop on his knees next to his friends trembling and curled up body and saw that blood was seeping through his fingers which were tightly pressed against his chest and was also beginning to slowly drip from his mouth; his face contorted in pain. Arthur slid one arm behind Merlin's shoulders and the other under his knees, picking him up as gently as possible; the warlock cried out in pain again as the movement aggravated his injury. His breathing became rapid and hitched, and one of his hands now held the front of Arthur's shirt in a death grip.

With Leon closely behind him, Arthur ran with Merlin in his arms as fast as he could to the safety behind the courtyard doors. Once there he quickly gave orders to shut and barricade the doors, and posted guards all along the wall. He turned to Leon only to see that he had already run off in search of Gaius.

The safest place to treat Merlin would be in the boy's chambers, far away from the gates; so without another thought he headed off in that direction. While he was walking, he glanced down to the trembling form in his arms. The warlocks eyes were still closed, he was sweating profusely, and he still had a death grip on the front of his shirt.

"Merlin?"

He was answered with a pained whimper.

"Hang in there…"

The king sped up his pace and in no time at all he was in Merlin's chambers, gently laying the boys limp form on the bed. He could not get back up though, because Merlin did not let go of his shirt. So Arthur knelt by his friend, until eventually he passed out and his hand went limp. Soon after that, Gaius came bursting into the room with his medical supplies and went straight to Merlin's side. Arthur moved aside to let him work, but his gaze never left his friends fevered form. When the physician lifted up the warlock's shirt to get a better look at the injury, it took all his self-control not scream out of anger and grief. The metal club itself had left a very dark bruise on the boy's chest, but the spikes had left several deep and nasty gashes all along his torso. Arthur was pretty sure he could see the white a rib through one of them.

Seeing Leon standing by the door, the king glanced one last time at the injured boy and then stepped outside to speak to his knight.

"How is he?" the knight asked.

"Not good." Leon's face took on a look of fear and guilt.

"Leon, this isn't your fault." In an attempt to distract the knight, Arthur slightly changed the subject.

"How are we holding up out there?"

"They won't be able to get into the courtyard right now. I think somehow Merlin was able to place one last barrier on the doors, but I don't know how long it will hold for…" He took a deep breath before continuing.

"We can't hold out much longer. We've lost too many men already, and our defenses won't last… we need assistance."

Just then Arthur realized something, but he wasn't sure whether he should be happy or frightened about it.

"King Aragorn is still coming! We were expecting him tomorrow… I don't know whether I should be worried for his safety, or to be hopeful for his assistance. Either way, we need to find some way to warn him and his company of the danger and state of Camelot. But how…"

"I… I don't know sire. It would be suicide to send someone out there. The chances of someone getting past the army alone is impossible. I'm afraid that there is no way to warn them."

"I see… thank you Leon. For now, I need you to keep me informed of the events in the court yard."

"Yes sire, or course." He bowed and headed to the court yard.

Another pain filled cry came from Merlin's room and shortly after, Gaius stepped out with a grave look on his face and looked at Arthur.

"How is he?"

"Not well I'm afraid… aside from the severe bruising and the deep gashes on his chest, he has several broken ribs and I believe one of them scratched one of his lungs…" he stopped.

"Gaius?"

"Sire I… I don't think he is going to make it…" With those words, Arthur thought his heart stopped. He fought to keep the tears threatening to fall at bay.

"No… Gaius, there must be something…" He was cut off by the physician's sorrowful look.

"Right… um… you should stay with him then. I'll…I'll make sure food and supplies are sent to you. I'll, um… be in my chambers if you… need anything." Without another word he turned and walked into his own chambers. When he closed the door, he leaned against the wall and slid down into a sitting position.

He pulled his knees into his chest and buried his head into his arms, and finally allowing the tears fall down his face, Arthur grieved for his best friend.

~0o0~

"The warlock is dying, the king has lost hope. Good, good. Things are going better than I had hoped." Horvath turned from the pool that he had been using to watch his orc army destroy Camelot, and walked towards his Uruk-hai (sp?) leader. The sorcerer then turned again, holding his staff.

"Very soon now, King Arthur will fall; and Camelot will be mine."

* * *

**Ok… so, for those of you who think I killed Merlin please don't be mad! *hides*… there is more coming, it is not the end for our dear young warlock. And yes, it's the typical "sorcerer wants to take over Camelot and kill Arthur". Yeah, there's where my creativeness was lacking. Also I kind of just thought of a name for the evil mastermind when I was writing about it, and Horvath is what popped in my head… even though I think I've heard it somewhere before… was it sorcerer's apprentice? I really don't know… anyway this was the second update I had today! I felt like writing more and voila! Even though I got stuck a lot writing the whole…um… hurt merlin part… yeah… anywho, once again please review! They make me happy!**

**Cooking-ninja**


	4. Silent conversations

**A/N: so, I have a feeling not a lot of people liked the last chapter very much… but I can't change anything because nobody says anything, so I don't know what to change. Anyway, time to continue where I left off. Hopefully this chapter will be enjoyed more. So, guess who appears in this chapter? Hmm? Guess you'll find out!**

**Enjoy chapter 4 and the really long conversation that goes on in Arthur and Merlin's heads…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, Lord of the rings, or 'bending' which belongs to ATLA**

**~0o0~**

* * *

King Arthur had pretty much dropped off the face of Camelot. Aside from quick appearances in the courtyard to give orders, he had spent most of his time locked in his chambers. Not a single knight or citizen had criticized his actions though; they knew what the source of his grief was. The court sorcerer, and his closest friend, was dying in the room next to him; and there was nothing that anyone could do about it. Gwen was grieving as well, but she was trying to be strong for Arthur and for Gaius. She would bring both of them their meals instead of a servant in order to keep any eye on them both. Arthur would frequently ask about Merlin's current state, but Gwen would always reply by saying that he should see for himself and that he should be by his side.

He couldn't do it. If he went to see his friend, the only thing he would see in that room is his dying friend. Merlin didn't deserve to die; in fact, he deserved quite the opposite. He deserved a long, happy life; but that wouldn't happen now. _No… without him, there's no hope. Without Merlin, Camelot will fall._

'_ARTHUR!'_

The king jumped at the sudden voice in his head.

"Wh-what?" he said aloud.

'_Think it Arthur. I thought we've been through this.'_

Realization dawned on him when he recognized the voice.

'_M-Merlin?'_

'_No I'm the little voice inside your head. My goal is to drive you crazy; is it working?'_

Ok, that's definitely Merlin.

'_How are you doing that?'_

'_Just because I'm unconscious doesn't mean I can't use my magic. Talking like this sometimes happens subconsciously, err. Something like that. I'm not entirely sure myself. Oh, I almost forgot… ahem… WHATS WRONG WITH YOU!'_

The king flinches at the sudden change.

'_What are you-'_

'_You know exactly what I'm talking about. Since when is it ok for you to just give up?'_

Arthur found that he had nothing to say to this.

'_I mean, just because things aren't looking that great for me doesn't mean all hope is lost. For all we know, that's exactly what the sorcerer wants you to think. He wanted me out of the way and for you to lose hope. Once that happens, taking Camelot would be easy.'_

'_Wait… sorcerer? You know who's behind the attack?'_

'_Yes. Well… sort of. I know his name and what he looks like, but that's about it.'_

'_How do you know?'_

Merlin's voice paused for a moment.

'_Merlin?'_

'_It was weird. When I was hit with the trolls club, all these images flashed through my head. One of them was of this man who one of the orc addressed as Horvath. From what I saw it seemed clear that he was the leader; just by the way the orc were watching him and how they reacted to his presence. And not too long ago I think I heard his voice in my head, but he sounded more like he was talking to himself; so I don't think he knew I was listening…'_

'_What did he say?'_

'_Oh, the usual. Basically he wants to take over Camelot.'_

'_Well that's nothing new...'_

There was a long pause, and it seemed that the conversation has ended, but Arthur had more to say to the warlock.

'_Merlin, I don't think… I don't know…' _He didn't want to do this without him.

'_Arthur… whether I make it through this or not, you have a kingdom to lead. You can't give up just because you've hit a bump in the road. You have to except the fact that you might have to do this without me.'_

The king sighed. Merlin was right, whether he liked it or not. It would be hard to rule Camelot without the warlock by his side, but he had to remain strong no matter what happened.

'_Alright Merlin.'_

'_Good.'_

'_But I'm not going to give up on you yet. Not until you're dead and gone.'_

'_I know Arthur.'_

With that last statement, Arthur could feel the connection break. He found himself wondering how the warlock could have such a conversation even while unconscious, even if his magic was as powerful as it was. Dismissing these thoughts from his head, the king rose from where he had been sitting by the wall, and left his chambers heading for the courtyard. Merlin was right, he had a job to do and he could not give up hope; for his people, and for Merlin.

Arthur was not aware that Merlin was not done with his silent conversations. Several miles away from Camelot, a blonde haired girl had stopped walking to listen to the voice that had started speaking to her.

~0o0~

"Clara? Is something wrong?"

Aragorn noticed that the 20 year old girl had suddenly stopped walking, and appeared to be concentrating on something. He brought up his hand to signal the knights behind him to stop, and they quickly complied with his command. Legolas, who had joined them for the small journey, moved to Aragorn's side and observed the concentrating girl. The elf had met her when she had arrived in Gondor following the king, and had gotten to know her well over the past couple of years.

After a few moments, Clara looked up to her companions; her expression was worrisome. The elf repeated Aragorn's question. She looked at them for another moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"Camelot is under siege… by orc, led by a sorcerer named Horvath."

Shocked silence filled the next few moments, until the king spoke again.

"Who were you talking to just now? Was it the court sorcerer Merlin?"

"Yes… but…" she paused a moment, shifting her weight on her feet and bringing one of her hands up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"He was injured… badly. He says that it is not likely he will be alive for much longer, and wanted to warn us of the danger that awaits us in Camelot. He was also asking for our assistance. They are quickly losing numbers and the orc army has already broken through the walls…" She then began to provide the information that Merlin had given her about the siege and the events of the past few days. The king of Gondor began pacing back and forth, trying to think of a plan. He turned to Clara.

"What do you propose we do?" She provided an answer instantly;

"We need to provide assistance to Camelot. Not only do you and Legolas have knowledge on how to go about fighting the orc, but I can help Merlin. I believe there is a lake not too far from here that has special properties to it; its water can probably heal just about anything."

"Then that is what we shall do. Legolas and my knights will continue straight for Camelot; you can go to the lake and get back to Camelot quickly using that wind manipulation technique of yours."

"Right, I will get to Camelot as soon as I can."

With a quick wave goodbye, Clara took off into the woods at a great speed; yet another handy trick she learned from that mysterious group of kids she had met a couple years back.

After seeing Clara disappear into the woods, Aragorn and Legolas mounted their horses and rode to Camelot as fast as their steeds would carry them; his knights following closely behind.

They needed speed as their ally; the longer it took them to reach the walls of Camelot, the closer the end came for Merlin and King Arthur.

* * *

**Yes, another shorter…ish chapter. Next couple of updates will be a bit slow, like I said earlier I'm heading off to college so I will not have nearly as much free time. I will update when I can. Not sure about the ending… I think I worded it kind of strangely. Let me know what you think! So please review!**

**Cooking-ninja**


	5. Help arrives

**Hey everyone! So… college life, it's obviously very different. Aside from a bit of writers block, I haven't been writing because it's been quite an emotional transition for me. So I would like to thank AlbusProngsRebeccaPotter for your kind reviews and pointing out my spelling mistakes. I've never been the best speller, so I thank you, and please correct me if I misspell any names further on in the story. Your kind reviews made me want to try and get this next chapter done, so thanks again!**

**Please enjoy chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, Lord of the Rings, or 'bending' which belongs to ATLA**

**~0o0~**

* * *

Five days. It has only been five days since the siege on Camelot began, and so much had changed in so little time. Camelot's defenses had fallen greatly, and most of the city had been breached. The courtyard walls were still holding against the constant onslaught of orc, but it was only a matter of time before it would fall as well. Arthur had resumed his role as a strong leader. He was doing everything in his power to keep the invaders at bay, and would spend sleepless nights meeting with the council and trying to figure out a battle strategy. No matter how busy he was though, he always found some time to check up on his friend. Merlin's condition had not improved much, and he had been running a dangerously high fever for the past two days. The king would always keep his mind open in case Merlin was able to speak to him again, but things had remained silent since their last conversation. He had made a promise to the warlock though, and he intended to keep it.

One of the many concerns on Arthurs mind was the location of King Aragorn and his company. They were expected to arrive yesterday, but there was no sign of them. There was no word on whether they had been captured, if they were late, or if they had learned of the condition of Camelot and were planning a strategy to provide assistance. Arthur hoped it was the later; Camelot and its people were at its breaking point. The king was jolted out of his thoughts when the sound of an explosion and someone shouting reached his ears. It came from the courtyard…

_Oh no… no, no, no!_

He took off towards the courtyard as fast as he could, and upon arriving he was greeted with a terrifying sight. The defenses had finally fallen, and orc were now swarming into the courtyard overwhelming Camelot's remaining forces. Sword in hand, Arthur joined the remaining knights and fought to defend the castle. If the orc army got into the castle, there would be no more hope; they would be defeated.

Arthur, Sir Leon, and some other knights had placed themselves between the entrance to the castle and the advancing army. The knights dealt blow after blow to the orc threatening the citizens that were seeking refuge in the castle; but they were greatly outnumbered. It did not take long for Arthur to find himself surrounded. He positioned himself in a stance that would allow him to deflect attacks more easily, and was ready to block an oncoming blow when a shout from Leon turned his attention towards the large cave troll that had somehow snuck up behind him; ready to deal him a fatal blow.

Just as quickly as the troll had appeared, it was crushed into the ground by a large boulder. The orc that was attacking him before was also crushed by a rock. Confused, and in slight awe, the king looked around for the source of the flying rocks. Just then, a cloaked figure appeared by his side causing the king to slightly jump in surprise. Before he could ask any questions, they stepped out in front of him and began taping their foot on the ground. Then, with a deep breath they stomped one of their heels into the ground, sending orc from all directions flying. Now aware that it was this person who had saved him, he had also noticed that this mysterious person had created pathways through the waves of orc for his knights to retreat to the front of the castle. The stranger glanced in his direction, as if waiting for something, and it was then that Arthur realized what they wanted.

"Retreat! Back to me!"

The knights immediately answered their king's order and used the pathways created for them so that they could get back to the front entrance of the castle. Once all the knights were back by Arthur's side, the stranger took another deep breath and raised both of their hands in front of them. When they raised their hands over their head, the ground rose with them; creating two large walls facing each other. They then quickly shot their hands to their sides causing the walls to shoot in different directions, pushing the orc and trolls behind them, with them. This created a small path from outside of the courtyard to the castle entrance. Arthur had expected to see the large army ready to storm the entrance, but what he didn't expect was to see that army fending off an attack from what looked to be other knights and… _Is that an elf?_

One of the men turned their attention to the path, and shouted something to the elf and other men. With the elf and the man fending off those who tried to follow, the knights ran through the path into the courtyard. It was then, Arthur noticed, the design on their armor; a black background with a silver tree.

_Gondor…_

Arthur realized that the man fending off the army approaching the castle with the elf was none other than King Aragorn. He turned his attention to the cloaked stranger, who was now standing protectively close to the king of Gondor. Once the fighting pair had passed safely through the pathway, the figure quickly threw their hands up; creating another wall, only this one raised high into the air and cut off any further access to the courtyard. The king of Camelot let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. They may be trapped inside the courtyard again, but at least they were safe from the army invading the castle. He noticed the knights from Gondor were now standing amongst the knights of Camelot, and Aragorn as well as the elf and stranger stood in front of him.

"Thank you. If you had not showed up when you did, I don't know if we would have made it."

It was now Aragorn's turn to observe the king of Camelot. He looked very young, but strong and wise none the less. The strain of the past few days was obvious on his face; he had dark circles under his eyes and he simply looked exhausted. He would be too if Gondor was under siege again. He offered a kind smile as a response, but turned his attention towards his companions. Aragorn put his hand on the elf's shoulder;

"This is Legolas. One of the best archers I have ever had the honor of knowing, and one of my closest friends."

Legolas respectfully bowed his head towards Arthur, who returned the gesture. The young man turned his attention towards Aragorn's other companion, who was now lowering their hood.

"This…" The king continued, looking towards the young blonde girl.

"This is Clara, Gondor's court…" he paused only for a moment, as if trying to find the right word.

"Court bender. If it was not for her and Merlin, we would never have known the condition of Camelot until it was too late."

The young king's eyes widened.

"Merlin… You talked to Merlin? When?"

The young girl bowed respectfully to the king before answering.

"Just a day or two ago. He warned me of the attack on Camelot and asked for our assistance. I haven't heard from him since, and I know he's been hurt. If you take me to him, I can help him."

His heart skipped a beat. Merlin was going to live, he would be ok. Although a bit unprofessional, all the young man was thinking about now was his friend. He looked from Clara to Aragorn, who only nodded his head in agreement.

"Follow me."

Without any other exchange, Arthur walked into the castle towards the young warlock's room; followed closely by Clara. Aragorn and Legolas decided to stay behind in the courtyard, just to make sure the new defenses would hold.

~0o0~

In no time at all, Arthur and Clara were standing outside Merlin's room. The king gently pushed the door open, only to see Gaius was silently sitting by the boys side; a look of sorrow on his face.

"Gaius?"

The physician's sad gaze turned to Arthur, who was standing in the doorway. He felt panic ebbing its way through him at the older man's gaze.

"Is… he's not…"

"No. He's not gone. Not yet, but I'm afraid that he hasn't got much longer."

It was then that Arthur heard the labored, raspy breaths coming from Merlin. He felt sorrow come over him again, until the gentle hand on his shoulder reminded him why he was there. He stepped aside to allow Clara to enter. Seeing the puzzled look on the physicians face, Arthur introduced the girl.

"This is Clara. She's Gondor's court bender, and she says she can help Merlin."

Gaius's eyes widened in awe.

"A bender? But that's impossible; that kind of magic disappeared hundreds of years ago!"

"Well I assure you Gaius that she is no fake. I saw her magic with my own eyes."

Clara knelt by Merlin's bedside and began observing his wound and placed her hand on his forehead. As she did this, she spoke;

"Well, it never really disappeared. Yes, less and less people seem to possess this particular magic and therefore it seems rare now days, but it is possible for seemingly ordinary people to possess it without knowing."

Being intrigued by this new information, Arthur and Gaius took a seat near the bed where the young girl was working.

"What do you mean?" Gaius was truly curious on why such a strong form of magic could remain so hidden.

"Well, benders are magic users who are limited. We can't use spells, and the only thing we have in common with other magic users is that we can use telepathy. Besides that, we can only control the elements, which with my experience; can be a beautiful and amazing gift… but the only way bender's seem to discover their ability is if they are in danger, and the magic just… kind of activates itself… it just happens. Some people accept their gifts and hone them, while others refuse it, and therefore it goes dormant again. "

She pulled out a canteen from her side, and proceeded to pour its contents into a bowl. As her hand hovered over it, the water began to slowly rise from the bowl. Arthur stared at the hovering liquid.

"So… you're going to heal him… using water?"

She nodded. "Yes, but this is special water. It comes from a very special lake… very magical."

As the water formed a glowing glove on her hand, Clara moved it over to rest on Merlin's wound; her eyes tightly closed in deep concentration. A light knock on the door brought both Arthur, and Gaius's attention away from Merlin. Aragorn was standing in the door;

"I know you are worried about your friend, but trust me when I say that he is in good hands. It would be best to give her space while she heals him. Over time, I have learned that it can be very exhausting and takes a great deal of concentration. I know you want to be by his side right now, but perhaps for now it would be best if we left her to her work?"

Both men nodded in understanding, and quietly stood up to leave. After glancing one last time at the two young magicians, Arthur and Gaius followed Aragorn out of the room and back to the court yard.

The king of Camelot felt as if a large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Gondor had come to help them; and Merlin would survive… Yes, Merlin would soon be standing by his side again… just like he always is.

_Aw… I'm touched Arthur._

Even though it was in his head, the king couldn't help the relief he felt upon hearing the warlock's voice again.

_Shut up Merlin._

* * *

**Ok, a bit longer. I only ended it here because I'm not quite sure what to write next, so it may be a while before the next chapter comes out. Any who, Gondor to the rescue! Sorry to any Legolas fans for his lack of dialogue and participation. The new season of Merlin started, and now that's all I can think of, so this chapter is mostly focused on them… obviously. **

**Please review!**

**Cooking-ninja**


	6. Interesting discoveries

Hi again everyone! Thanks to all those who gave me positive reviews! They always make my day! Any who, as I said last chapter, the new season of Merlin started so now that's all I can seem to write about. So this chapter is mostly Merlin plus my OC, but hang in there. I'll try to write more Aragorn and Legolas in upcoming chapters! I swear! And just a heads up to anyone who's been reading my other Merlin fics, I will be writing an 'Arthur finds out about Merlin's' fic. I don't know when… but I will be writing one due to request! So never fear! Ok… so maybe fear a little…

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, Lord of the Rings, or 'bending' which is from ATLA**

**Enjoy! And once again, sorry for the lack of Aragorn and Legolas, please hang in there!**

**~0o0~**

* * *

"So… you're saying that it's impossible for the orc to break through to the courtyard again?"

Arthur had been discussing battle strategies with Aragorn for several hours now. He had voiced his concerns on whether the army would break through to the courtyard again, but the king of Gondor had reassured him.

"Yes. They can destroy that wall as much as they please, but they will not be able to get through again, because Clara will just replace the wall; making it even more difficult to get through each time. That gives us time to further prepare and train our knights for the battle."

Arthur nodded in understanding, and added to the plan;

"It will also give Merlin more time to fully recover and learn some new spells."

"Good morning sires."

Both kings turned their attention to Clara, who had just entered the room.

"Clara, how are you feeling today?"

Arthur was as concerned as Aragorn. Shortly after Merlin was healed, she had passed out from exhaustion and had slept for at least two days.

"I feel a little tired still, but it's nothing that a little food can't help."

Aragorn chuckled, while Arthur grinned.

"Of course. I was just about to lock Merlin in the dining hall so he would eat. If you would like, you can join him."

"I would love to." She smiled at them.

"Great, I'll have someone show you to the dining hall."

"That won't be necessary; I can find it on my own."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, and bowed to both kings as she left.

The young man gave Aragorn a confused look. The older man responded with a pat on the shoulder.

"She can find her way around easily. She learned some techniques a couple of years ago from other benders. One of them was to sense the vibrations in the ground using earth manipulation. Merlin is already in the dining hall. So she will probably just look for him."

"Huh…" was all he could reply with.

~0o0~

"Hello Merlin. How are you feeling today?"

The young warlock turned his head from the ridiculously large spread of food in front of him, to the blonde who was now moving to sit beside him.

"Oh, hello Clara. Much better thanks to you."

She simply smiled at him as she sat down next to him, and he continued.

"I'm truly grateful, thank you."

"You're welcome. But I should also be thanking you. You took great risk contacting me like you did, so I am grateful for that."

"No problem."

They smiled at each other for a minute before Merlin turned his attention back to the table.

"Please tell me you're going to eat some of this…"

Clara raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Why?"

"Last time I was unwell, Arthur made me eat until I almost bursted. And I'm pretty sure he's trying to do it again. He thinks I need to gain a few pounds… he needs to lose a few…" He mumbled the last part.

"Don't worry," she chuckled, "I'll lend you a hand… er… stomach?"

The warlocks expression looked relieved.

"Oh gods thank you!"

They both laughed before diving into the feast. Throughout the meal, Merlin had asked Clara several questions about her magic, which she happily answered, leaving Merlin more and more curious.

"What's it feel like? When you use your magic?"

The girl smiled at this.

"Well, what do you feel when you use your magic?"

The warlock stared off into nothing while he thought of an answer.

"I feel… peaceful. Like I'm in touch with the world and everything around me. I feel…"

"Alive?" Clara finished.

"Yeah." He grinned.

"There's your answer then."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Merlin, do your eyes change color when you use your magic?"

"Yeah, gold. Why?"

"Huh…"  
"Do your eyes change color?"

"Yeah, different color for each element… Actually…"

"What?"

She looked at the boy curiously.

"When I manipulate the earth, they turn gold."

Merlin's eyebrows shot up, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but he quickly closed it again. Clara continued to look at him, obviously intrigued by her realization. Suddenly, she stood up and walked towards the door. She then stopped and turned to look at Merlin' who was still sitting with a confused look on his face.

"Follow me, were going to go outside for a bit."

"Um… ok?"

He rose slowly, and walked to join her. His injury was still bothering him, so he walked with worse posture than normal; in attempt to keep the stress off his chest. The young girl was able to close his wound and repair his ribs, but there was still bruising that he had to deal with. Clara waited patiently for him to catch up, and then as they walked she kept a close eye on him; just to make sure he didn't do anything that would upset his healing chest.

The bender led them towards a courtyard that was located inside the castle walls; safe from the possibility of any attack. The ground was pure earth, with grass growing over the top, and a small pond was sitting in the middle. When stepping through the stone archway, Clara let out a low whistle.

"This place is perfect!"

"What for exactly?"

Merlin walked into the courtyard behind her, and looked around as well. He was familiar with the area. It was the only place that the siege seemed non-existent, and even before, it was one of the most peaceful spots in the castle; he had come often.

"We are going to see…" she walked over to the pond and sat in the grass, Merlin following.

"If you can earth bend."

"What!"

"You heard me. Come on, it doesn't hurt to try."

"Bu…but you… I…" He was too surprised to form a proper sentence.

"What?" The girl leaned back into the grass with an amused smirk on her face.

"Wouldn't that be impossible?"

The two magicians turned their attention to Arthur, who was now standing in the courtyard.

"Arthur? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with King Aragorn?"

The king rolled his eyes.

"Well _Mer_lin… for one, planning different strategies on how to get Camelot out of this siege is very exhausting, and like most normal people, we need our rest. Secondly, you weren't in the dining hall, so I wanted to figure out where you ran off to, and to make sure you got some food into that skeleton you call a body."

"Well… at least I have skeleton for a body and not a… whale…"

Arthur tried to look deeply offended.

"Are you calling me fat again?"

"No. Of course not. You're just… pleasantly plump."

"I'll have you kn- mfmfmm…? "

He was abruptly cut off by an "unusual" gust of wind blowing a few discarded leaves into his mouth.

As he spat them out, Merlin was laughing hysterically until some water hovering over his head proceeded to soak him. This time it was Arthur who was laughing, but this time it was Merlin who silenced him by knocking him off his feet by an "inconveniently" placed root. Clara smacked her forehead with her palm, and ran her hand down her face.

"Honestly, you two are like children…"

"He started it!" they said simultaneously.

She proceeded to let out a small laugh and sighed.

_That was a dirty trick Merlin…_

_What the root? I agree, it was quite dirty, seeing it came from the ground._

Arthur smacked the warlock upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He put on his best, 'I'm innocent' look. He was only answered with a glare, which slowly turned into a grin.

"Idiot."

"Prat."

"Arthur did you want to ask me something?"

Although she enjoyed watching their playful banter, she had brought Merlin out there for a purpose and she wanted to see if her hunch was correct. The king looked at her as if trying to recall what it was.

"What? Oh, right. You were saying you wanted to see if Merlin could earth bend. Wouldn't that be impossible? I mean, with everything you talked about before?"

"I said that benders couldn't learn other forms of magic. I didn't say that it wasn't possible for warlocks to learn some bending. In fact, I don't think it's ever been attempted. So really, there is no way of knowing unless he tried. He said his eyes turn gold when he uses his magic; and gold for me, is associated with earth manipulation. So I want to see if I can teach him some earth bending."

The two young men exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Clara.

"So? You want to give it a try?"

"Sure. I guess there's no harm in trying."

"Fantastic! First things first though. I need to see how strong you currently are."

Merlin could feel himself starting to sweat. All of the sudden this didn't sound like it would be much fun anymore.

"Um… and how are you going to do that?"

She smirked.

"Easy. We're going to fight."

For the second time that day, both Arthur and Merlin spoke in unison.

"What?"

~0o0~

* * *

**Ok, so I know not much happened in this chapter, but I LOVED writing the banter between Arthur and Merlin. It was rather fun and amusing. So, Clara and Merlin are going to fight? Hm… Stayed tuned and see! Please review!**

**Cooking-Ninja**


	7. Lessons of motivation

**Hey again! You'll see later in this chapter that there's a lot of 'psychic inner guide' stuff in here. I thought it fit… if anyone is curious about it just leave me a message and I'll try to get back to you quickly. Anyway, enjoy chapter 7!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, Lord of the Rings, or 'bending' which belongs to ATLA**

**~0o0~**

* * *

"What?" they said in unison.

"I said were going to fight. The way that benders usually discover their abilities is if their life is in danger, and with earth bending you need to hold your ground against any threat."

While Merlin sat there gaping, Arthur had no problem voicing his concerns.

"You can't be serious! He's still recovering from almost _dying_, and you want to FIGHT him? Are you mad?"

The girl smirked. Why did she find picking on the King so amusing?

"Don't worry, I only want him to stand his ground while I chuck rocks at him."

Arthur was about to retort, but Clara cut him off.

"If he gets hurt, I'll just heal him again. The point is to try and unlock the bending magic in him, if he has it. And like I said, benders don't normally discover their ability unless they are in danger. So we won't get anywhere if I go easy on him."

She ignored the "you're crazy" look Arthur was giving her, and instead focused on Merlin's expression. He looked to be a bit hesitant, but she could also see the curiosity in his eyes.

"I'll do it."

"_Mer_lin!"

"What? She has a point you know. Besides…"

"What?"

The warlock sighed.

"Nothing. But I'm going to try whether you want me to or not. I feel like this is something I need to try Arthur."

The king sighed in defeat.

"Fine…Just… be careful Merlin."

A smile spread on the warlocks face, and he began opening his mouth as if to start some more of their playful banter, but he quickly shut it and just nodded instead.

"Excuse me, sire?"

Arthur turned his attention to the archway.

"Good afternoon Lisa. What can I do for you?"

The servant girl curtsied before continuing.

"Your lunch is ready. Queen Gwenevere as well as King Aragorn and King Legolas are waiting for you."

"Thank you Lisa, I… wait, did you say _King_ Legolas?"

"Yes sire."

The young man glanced over to Clara, seeing if she could clear up his confusion. She simply shrugged.

"Hey, you will have to ask Aragorn why he didn't tell you. So don't look at me."

He rolled his eyes at the young girl and turned his attention back to Lisa.

"Are you heading back to the dining hall?"

"Yes sire. I am part of the waiting staff today."

"Then if you don't mind, I will walk back with you."

"Of course sire." She curtsied again, and smiled at Merlin and Clara before turning to walk back to the dining hall. Arthur began following her before turning to glance at Merlin, and he began opening his mouth to say something, but was promptly cut off.

"Arthur, if you tell me to come and eat more I will turn you into a toad."

The king's mouth snapped shut and formed a grin as he rolled his eyes again. He turned back around and joined Lisa in the hall as they both walked towards the dining hall.

"I think he forgot were in the middle of a siege."

Merlin laughed at that.

"Now… let's get this training started."

The warlock looked at the seriousness on the bender's face and began to wonder what he had agreed to do.

Clara stood up and began walking around with her eyes closed; smoothly navigating past the pond and around the courtyard. Merlin watched her with curiosity, and saw that she wasn't wearing any shoes. _Has she been walking around barefoot this whole time?_

_Yup._

The boy jumped. Even though that had that long conversation earlier, he forgot for a moment that she could also use telepathy. He pushed himself off the ground, and slowly stood. Clara stopped walking on the other side of the courtyard and opened her eyes to look at Merlin.

"Before I start hurling rocks at you, let's start with a few questions that might make this easier."

Merlin almost fell back to the ground in relief. Yes, he wanted to figure out if he could manipulate the earth, but he wasn't fond of the idea of having rocks hurled at his head. He nodded, and waited for her to continue.

"Let's start with this. I'll ask you some questions about what you would do, or have done in certain situations, and all you have to do is answer honestly. If you don't, I'll know when you're lying. If it turns out you can use this magic, then you'll be able to detect lies as well; it would be a very handy trick in the future."

The warlock nodded, but was unsure of what this would accomplish.

"Ok, first question. When the Great Dragon attacked Camelot, Arthur didn't ask you to go with him yet you did anyway. Why?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the kind of question he was expecting, but he answered confidently.

"For several reasons. I'm the one who freed him in the first place, so it was my responsibility to take care of it. Secondly, I had to protect Arthur; I couldn't let him go out there alone."

The girl nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"Second question. Your injury that I healed, did you get it as a result of protecting someone besides King Arthur?"

Once again, not the kind of questions he was expecting.

"Yes."

Clara nodded again, but pressed for details.

"What happened?"

"Well… Sir Leon was surrounded, and I went to help him when a cave troll appeared. I didn't have enough energy to block its attack, so I knocked him out of the way so it would hit me instead…"

He put his hand on his chest subconsciously.

"So you stood your ground against a likely fatal attack. Did you feel anything… unusually different when it happened?"

Merlin reflected back to the moment he had gotten his wound and tried to remember whether or not he had felt something change in that moment of danger. Yes… now that he thought of it, he did feel something strange. He thought it was just his magic reacting in a last minute attempt to shield himself, but nothing had happened; it was just the feeling that something was different; something changed.

Reading the expression on the young man's face, Clara walked closer and sat down in the grass again. Merlin just stood there, and continued to stare at nothing.

"Merlin, sit down. I think we can take a less violent approach with this."

Coming out of his thoughts, the warlock did as she had instructed. He was also thankful that they weren't going to fight after all.

"I didn't say we weren't going to fight. I just don't think we need to fight to unlock your bending anymore. We will be fighting later, as practice."

"Would you please stop eavesdropping on my thoughts…?"

"Why? It's too much fun." She smirked. He glared.

"Relax Merlin. I don't do it all the time."

Merlin just rolled his eyes and sighed.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"Well, from what you told me about facing that cave troll, I have a feeling you might have already unlocked your bending magic. You just have to find the source of it in here." She placed her hand on her chest.

"Wait… so… are you saying, that I _have_ bending magic?"

"I don't have as many doubts anymore. You said so yourself that something had changed. That feeling could have been the magic unlocking itself. If that's the case, you need to find the source of it. What exactly was going through your head when you unlocked it? Once you find that, you can try earth bending."

The warlock looked thoughtful, and nodded in understanding.

"So… what do you suggest I do?"

"When I had to figure out how I could manipulate the other elements, I had to find each of the reasons for me using it. My 'drive' if you will. To do that, I had to look deep within myself. I started practicing meditation; and after doing it on a daily basis, I slowly was able to unlock all of my bending magic. Although I believe you will only be able to use earth bending, I think you should also try meditation to try and find your own drive. What purpose would it serve you to earth bend? Do you understand?"

He nodded again.

"Good. I'll join you for this first meditation so you can get a clear idea of what you should do. Ready?"

Once again, a nod.

"Ok, first find a comfortable position. You can either sit with your legs crossed and you're back resting against something, or you can lie on your back and close your eyes. I personally would prefer a sitting position… because I'm less likely to fall asleep…"

Merlin smiled, and decided on the sitting position. Both he and Clara went to the other side of the courtyard and leaned against a wall in the shade.

"Ok, now what I want you to do is go into a trance-like state. Being in a trance will make it easier for you to communicate with your inner guide. When you do this, you'll find that this 'inner guide' will resemble someone or something you are familiar with, so don't be surprised."

"What do I do once I speak to them?"

"Ask them questions. Preferably yes or no questions. You can even ask them if you are capable of earth bending; it's a pretty straight forward kind of method but hey, you have to figure it out somehow."

"Right…"

Clara then began giving him instructions on proper meditation, and soon they both went silent as they searched inside themselves for answers.

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**Ok, so there's that chapter. I thought it would be best to end here, because next chapter is going to take place inside their heads! Yay! … ok, let me know what you thought! Please?**

**Cooking-ninja**


	8. The deepest of conversations

**Hi everyone! Sorry about the long wait. I got this sudden inspiration for a plot for a 'reveal' story and I wrote down my thoughts, but I haven't yet started on the story. Also, this week's episode of Merlin made me want to write the next chapter, but I did have some problems with writers block. Most of this chapter will be written in Italics; because that represents that the scene is going on in their thoughts. If it's not italicized, then the action or conversation is happening outside of their heads…. So yeah.**

**Enjoy chapter 8!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin… something about not owning LOTR and then another something about not owning 'bending' because it belongs to ATLA.**

**Random thought: does anyone besides me have a strange obsession with wolves?**

**~0o0~**

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_Ok, this was a bit strange. _

Merlin knew that physically he was still sitting in the courtyard; he could feel the light breeze and the grass brushing against his hands. In fact he felt even more aware of things around him, but his mind felt as if it was in an entirely different place. Shortly after Clara had begun guiding him into his trance, her voice drifted away and she began guiding him through telepathy and Merlin suddenly found himself standing in darkness. The bender's gentle voice was echoing in his head, giving him further instructions.

'_Now you must imagine a path leading to a place that you would feel at peace the most. I will leave you to your task now. I have some things I want to address in my meditation. I will talk with you once we are both finished.'_

_Merlin felt the connection break, and new that he was now alone with his thoughts. A pathway appeared before him and he walked into it while visualizing the place he believed he had ever found unconditionally peaceful. As he walked, there was a light that grew brighter and brighter the closer he got. Moments later, the warlock walked into the light and he had to close his eyes. When the light did not seem as blinding, he opened his eyes again and gasped. He remembered what it looked like, but seeing it like this made the place seem even more beautiful than when he had last been there. The tunnel vanished behind him, and Merlin found himself walking towards the calm water of the lake; the same lake he had laid Freya to rest. There were trees surrounding the lake, and mountains in the distance behind it. It was quiet, but then again he was deep inside his own head. He sighed, and the sound echoed as if they were in a closed room. _

'_Hello young warlock.'_

_Merlin wasn't surprised to see Kilgharrah standing behind him; the dragon had always been who he turned to for advice in difficult situations; aside from Gaius of course, although he did feel a pang of sadness that it was not Freya. _

'_So, what is the reason for this journey into the deepest parts of your soul?'_

_You can ask them anything. Preferably yes or no questions, but you can even ask if you are capable of bending. _

_Clara's words echoed in his head. Might as well get straight to the point. _

'_Erm… well… I was wondering…um.'_

_The dragon raised one of its large eyebrows and began to snicker. _

'_Merlin, I am your inner guide. I know the reason you're here, I just wanted you to tell me. It seems though that you are not sure where to start.'_

_The warlock stared at the wise beast for a moment before letting out a small snicker of his own. Even in his mind, Kilgharrah was still the same dragon he knew in reality. _

'_I guess the thing I want to know the most is… can I… um… am I really capable of using earth manipulation magic?'_

_The dragon observed the boy for a moment before answering. _

'_Why yes, I believe you are.'_

_Merlin blinked once, twice… ok a few times. _

'_Wh-what? Really?'_

'_Is it really that hard to believe Merlin? You are a creature of the old religion, and as such you have connections to this world that only a chosen few have. It is that connection that makes you capable of such magic. All that is left to figure out is…?'_

_The great beast paused, and waited for the young warlock to find the answer himself. _

'_Well… Clara mentioned looking for my "drive". So, I need to find out what my purpose for it would be. The reason I need bending magic in the first place?'_

_Kilgharrah nodded his head in agreement and proceeded to lie down on his stomach with his arms crossed in front of him, patiently waiting for him to continue. _

_Merlin plopped down with a 'huf' and crossed his legs, resting his chin on his hand; his arm resting on his knee, and the other arm. This was going to take a while…_

_~0o0~_

'_Something doesn't feel right Aragorn…' _

_Clara had been discussing recent events with the king, even if it was just in her deepest thoughts. Two years ago, she had discovered that her mentor in real life was also her mentor to her deepest thoughts. This Aragorn was sitting on a tree branch in a forest that was almost identical to the one the young girl grew up in. The young bender was sitting on the same branch, staring out into the lake where they had reunited after several years. A look of worry had settled on her face._

'_Something was different about those orc we fought… I could just… I don't know… feel something different I guess. I wonder if maybe Horvath is getting closer.' _

_Aragorn looked at the girl thoughtfully before turning his attention towards the lake as well. _

'_You are worried that he will arrive before Camelot is ready to defend itself?'_

_She nodded and sighed._

'_I have a bad feeling about him… I haven't "seen" him like Merlin has, but I can still sense him. I can't quite say what it is, but I just…' she sighed again before putting her weary head in her hands._

'_I just feel like something bad is going to happen… and it scares me… not knowing what it is and if I can stop it…'_

_The older man put a reassuring hand on the girls shoulder. _

'_When will you get it through your head that you are not alone anymore? Not only do you have Gondor and me with you, but now you have Camelot as well as Arthur and Merlin with you. You are far from alone my young friend.'_

_Clara allowed herself to smile._

'_I know.'_

_Just then, the tree they were in started to shake, and the lake began to ripple. The bender sat still for a moment. The same thing happened again, only stronger. Aragorn disappeared and the world began to fade and she began bringing herself out of her trance. _

The first thing she noticed when becoming fully aware again was the smell of smoke and the intense heat around her.

When she opened her eyes, all she saw was fire.

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**Sorry for the shorter chapter, not the best thing after such a long wait, but I guess I couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to do for this chapter. I'm honestly not sure how long until the next chapter, but I'll try to get it out soon. I'm also going to begin work on my 'reveal' fiction, so that will take up some more time. Anywho, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I love reviews!**

**Cooking-ninja**


	9. The battle for Camelot begins

**Hey everyone, sorry for the really long wait. I just haven't had much inspiration for this story lately, and honestly, I still don't, but I needed to get a chapter out, so if this doesn't turn out very well, that's why. Anywho, I hope you enjoy chapter 9! Oh, and I decided to go with Irish when writing spells from now on. Mostly because it's the easiest translator I could find on short notice. And it may also be because of a certain Actor with an awesome Irish accent… So any spells you see in the future are in Irish (and come from a probably non too accurate translator). **

**Disclaimer: see chapter one… do I really have to post it over and over?**

**~0o0~**

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_Merlin!_

_The warlock jumped at the urgency in Clara's voice. He was still in his trance, and had only just figured out what his 'drive' was. _He shook his arms and legs to wake himself up, and quickly noticed that the area around him felt very hot.

"Merlin, come on! We need to find Aragorn and Arthur!"

The warlock finally opened his eyes, and was horrified at the sight before him. The once peaceful courtyard that was supposed to be a safe haven was currently in shambles and on fire. He quickly spotted Clara near the pond, trying to douse the fire with its water.

"Can't you just put the fire out with fire manipulation?" The girl briefly glanced at him before grabbing his wrist and running through what was once the archway. Once she was sure he was in step with her, she released Merlin's wrist and answered his question.

"I haven't mastered fire manipulation yet, and I don't want to make it worse." She suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and stomped her foot into the ground. Soon after, she let out a frustrated growl.

"What the hell! Why can't I find them!"

Merlin watched the girl pace in front of him before something else caught his attention. It was faint, but he could feel some sort of vibration coming from the direction of the courtyard.

"Clara, can you 'see' anyone over there?" he pointed in the direction of the courtyard.

The bender stopped pacing and stood still for a moment before a faint smile came across her face.

"Nicely done Merlin." Without another word, they took off in the direction of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, both Arthur and Aragorn were doing their best to fend off the brutal number of Uruk-hai that had stormed the courtyard while Legolas and other knights launched floods of arrows at orc beyond the wall. Things were beginning to go downhill very quickly and if they had any hope of making it through the sudden attack, then they needed help. Just then, there was a massive explosion that came from the inner courtyard. Arthur turned to see that the place where the warlock and bender had been was now a raging inferno.

'_Merlin!"_ the king tried to control his slight sense of panic as he projected his thoughts to the warlock.

'_Ow! What?' _Arthur felt the panic dissipate when Merlin had responded almost instantly.

'_Where are you?'_

There was a pause.

'_Erm…In a hall somewhere.' _The king rolled his eyes.

'_Could you be a bit more specific? We could really use some help out here!'_

'_Hey I'm running as fast as I can! Why don't you… LOOK OUT!' _

The king flinched at the sudden change in the boys tone and looked up to notice a very large troll standing over him. He quickly moved out of the way when the creature brought its club down. It was then dispatched by a few arrows from Legolas. They gave each other a quick nod before continuing their individual fights.

'_Arthur you really need to learn how to use telepathy and be aware of other things around you at the same time!'_

'_Well I'm sorry I'm not a pro at it Mr. Warlock! And how did you know that thing was there anyway?'_

'_Uh… lucky guess?'_

'_Uhuh. Looks like Clara may be a pretty decent teacher after all.'_

'_What's that supposed to mean?' _Clara's voice suddenly chimed in.

'_What are you doing in my head? Having Merlin there is bad enough!'_

'_Hey!' _

'_What can I say? I find it fun to annoy you.' _Clara started a-matter-of-factly.

"I'm going to stab you with a fork in your sleep…" he mumbled to himself.

'_I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that.'_

'_I said I'm going to make these orc…weep?'_

'_Uhuh, sure.' _Arthur could almost see the eye roll there.

'_That was terrible Arthur…'_

'_Shut up Merlin.' _He cut off the conversation when the vast number of orc and trolls suddenly stopped advancing, and stepped aside to form a path. Everyone could feel the tension in the air as a middle aged man holding a staff and wearing a hood-down cloak walked through the path. He was closely followed by the army that had stepped aside, and more seemed to show up behind them. As the man got closer and closer to the fallen walls of the courtyard, Merlin and Clara appeared. Arthur saw Clara and Aragorn exchange quick glances as she and Merlin made their way to the front of the courtyard; standing protectively in front of their comrades.

"Merlin, what do you think you're doing?" To most others he seemed to ignore the king.

'_That's their leader Horvath. He's the one I saw in my vision.'_

'_That doesn't answer my question.' _The warlock didn't reply.

"Well well, it seems the young warlock knows who I am. Your powers are rather impressive Emrys, especially if you were able to use my scrying to get a glimpse at me while you were unconscious." He observed the warlock a moment longer before his gaze fell on Clara.

"And you, Clara. It is an honor to be in the presence of a bender. Your talents are truly… mesmerizing." His lips formed a twisted smile, and then his gaze moved on. This time it went to Aragorn, and something flashed in the evil sorcerers eyes that made Clara inch closer to her king in a protective manner. He smirked and quickly turned his attention to Arthur.

"Ah, but here is the real reason I'm here. Arthur Pendragon, the great king of Camelot. How does it feel to have your city reduced to so little in a matter of days?"

The king of Camelot simply glared at the man.

Horvath started moving his staff around in his hand as he continued to speak.

"It must hurt, knowing that you couldn't save anyone. You can only offer refugee to so many of the villagers. All of those who didn't find safety behind the courtyard were mercilessly slaughtered by my army. And now, even those who did are being consumed by my flames. Such a pity is it not?"

Merlin didn't even have to look at Arthur to know he was angry. He could feel it through their telepathic connection.

'_Arthur…' _Merlin sent a warning.

When the sorcerer saw that the king was close to breaking, he decided to try and move things along.

"You could always end their suffering. All you have to do is surrender to me, and this could all be over."

Arthur let a cold and emotionless laugh escape his lips.

"Yeah, I'll bet." He said sarcastically.

"I'll take that as a no then."

"Great job at figuring that out."

"So, I wonder if you would change your mind…" Horvath turned his gaze back to Merlin.

"…If I were to make your friend here die a slow and painful death."

The king quickly looked over to Merlin; a feeling of fear settling itself in his stomach. The warlock seemed unfazed and replied confidently.

"I'd like to see you try."

To this the sorcerer replied with a twisted grin on his face.

"Very well. _Sruthán a anam i dóiteáin!"_ Horvath's eyes flashed gold, and soon after the warlock yelled in pain as he grabbed his head in both hands and collapsed onto his knees.

"Merlin!" Arthur couldn't keep the panic from his voice. He started to move towards his friend.

'_Bac gluaiseachta.'_ Horvath's next spell froze him in his tracks, and the king found that he couldn't move.

"So what will it be? Either Emrys and Camelot dies, or you die and they live. It's your decision."

The king glared at the sorcerer. He knew that they would have a better chance at Camelot surviving if they fought than if he just surrendered, but he wasn't sure what to do with Merlin at Horvath's mercy. All they had to do was get the man's attention away from the warlock long enough for him to cast a protective spell on all of them. He glanced over to Clara, who caught his gaze.

'_I have an idea. But I need some time to concentrate.'_ Arthur nodded in understanding, which ended up being a mistake. Horvath saw the gesture and decided to make them think twice about planning a way out of the situation. His eyes flashed gold again as he looked at the warlock kneeling on the ground still clutching his head.

'_lig an leathadh dóiteáin'. _Just like before, as soon as the words left his lips, Merlin screamed again and this time fell on the ground curling into himself. The pained look on his face was almost too much for Arthur to bear. He still couldn't move his feet, and it was starting to frustrate him.

The sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath brought his attention up. Aragorn was standing right behind Clara with his sword at the ready.

'_mé a iarraidh ar an bhiotáille na tine a úsáid mar chabhair inár am an ghá'. _Arthurs attention shot back towards Clara as he heard the words come from her mouth. Her eyes began to glow an orange-red color and the fire around them seemed to flicker and move with each breath she took. Horvath actually drew his attention away from the semi-conscious warlock to look at the girl with a somewhat surprised look on his face. The look was quickly replaced with a grin as he spoke to the bender.

"Well well well. What do you have here? You honestly think your magic will scare me?"

Clara smirked as she brought one of her arms out in front of her. She opened her palm to the sky and ribbons of fire began to flow from the flames around them to her hand, forming a rather large fire-ball.

"Lets find out."

With those words, the battle for Camelot began.

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**~0o0~**

**Holy cheeseburger an gnó iontach! What does that mean? I'm not entirely sure myself. Is that my longest chapter yet? I don't know that either! I hope it made up for the longer wait. I've been really lazy when it comes to writing lately, and I really need to work on other stories as well. Hmm.. please review! They always make me happy! And I love to know what you think!**

**Cooking -ninja**


	10. Stress management

**Um… hehehe… hi after, *looks at story manager* about seven, eight months? *sigh* sorry, I haven't really been into Lord of the rings lately, and that's kinda obvious halfway through the story, and I haven't really thought about much of the story nor have I really sat down to try and write anything. Now I'm sitting here with a ghost adventures marathon waiting for Whose line is it anyway to come on listening to "Wavin' Flag" and I find that I actually feel like updating! O.O *shocked face!* I'll do what I can with little inspiration, so it probably wasn't worth the wait, but I hope its at least slightly enjoyable? **

**Here you go!**

**Disclaimer: the usual**

**~0o0~**

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Horvath brought up his staff to block the blows coming from Aragorn's sword, then sent out a shock wave causing the king to fly backwards and making a feeble attempt to keep the raging flames at bay. Aragorn quickly regained his footing and launched himself right back towards Horvath, and the same routine started again. While they fought, Clara was helping Legolas and the knights deal with the advancing army while still keeping an eye on her king, making the flames leap at Horvath if he got an opening.

Arthur was kneeling by Merlin, keeping a hand on the warlocks shoulder while he fought off the last bit of pain from Horvath's spell. He was currently sitting on the ground with one hand clutching his head.

"Ow… I really hope Gaius has an amazing remedy for headaches." The king gave him a pat on his back.

"If not, I'm sure Clara could do something about it. Now, there's a power crazed sorcerer trying to tear down my kingdom so if you don't mind I'd love to give Aragorn a hand. Why don't you give Legolas and Clara a hand with those things that look like they lost a fight with a blender?" He paused and a confused look passed over his face. Merlin gave him an equally confused look.

"Um… did you mean 'bender'?"

"No, blender…"

"What's a blender?"

"I… I don't know."

"I really need to give you lessons on how cleverly insult and threaten people. I mean… really, you're terrible." He yelped when the king 'accidentally' knocked him over before getting up and running over to assist Aragorn. With a mumbled 'prat', he pushed himself off the ground and ran over to the Elf king and bender. Clara looked over to him.

"We need to find a fast way to take care of these guys. I'm not comfortable leaving Aragorn and Arthur to fight Horvath alo-"

"Look-out!"

Clara and Merlin Turned at the warning only to see several large flaming boulders hurling towards them. On instinct, the warlock threw his hands out in front of him and shut his eyes trying to concentrate on creating a barrier by visualizing it. The ground beneath his feet began to tremble, giving a great jolt as the boulders collided with the barrier he had created. He heard Clara let out a joyful laugh.

"Bloody brilliant Merlin!" and gave him a good slap on the back.

He opened his eyes and couldn't help but stare. In front of his outstretched arms was a towering rock wall that was now starting to crumble from the impact, but had managed to protect everyone from the flaming projectiles. Relieved, he laughed and let his hands fall to his sides, the wall crumbling as he did so. He looked over to see the bender with a calculating and slightly crazed look on her face.

"What are you thinking?"

She looked at him, a playful smile crawling across her face. "I wanna chuck flaming walls at them."

The warlock stared at her as if she had gone insane, and then turned his bewildered gaze to Legolas. He pointed at her with his thumb while addressing the Elf king.

"Is she always like this?" The elf smirked.

"Only when she's stressed." Merlin blinked.

"O….kay?" He turned again to look at her, and saw her eye twitching as she glared at the advancing army.

"I guess we'll just… 'chuck flaming walls' at them then." The warlock was almost frightened by the crazed laugh of delight coming from the powerful bender who was currently clapping her hands while dancing back and forth chanting 'squish the orc' over and over. He gulped and looked from her to the army and back again, trying to reassure him-self that throwing walls to flatten an army was a good idea. He addressed the girl as he walked over to her.

"And when this is all over, you're learning some stress management."

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**Ok, I know it's short. But at least its something right? And it just kinda went from attempt at serious to mostly humor, but hey! Humor is nice right? RIGHT! *takes deep breath* ook. So Clara's crazed battle tactics may be due to the fact that I wrote this around 2 in the morning? I want to do some drabbles, but I need to update and finish my many other stories as well. Let me know what you think and give me some ideas for the next couple chapters. Please? **

**Cooking~ninja**


	11. new story posted

I just posted the first chapter of what I hope to be a much better story than this one. It's currently called "Clara and the Guardian". Please let me know what you think and send me some ideas?

~Cooking-Ninja


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